Robotics

More than just playing with LEGOs or heavy metal!

"Robotics allows teachers to talk about design, innovation, problem solving, and teamwork at the same time they are talking about math, science, (especially applied physics) and technology; robotics puts academic concepts in context.
Robotics also provides excellent teaching examples of the concept of systems and subsystems." Robin Shoop, CMU

Robotics and robotics teams can help you, as a student, learn, use, and improve your creative, analytical, team-working, and communication abilities

Imagine
Brainstorming ideas for what you'd like your robot to do. Maybe you decide it should bring you the remote control for the TV on your voice command or sound an alarm if someone opens a door.

Define
Defining and listing one-action step by one-action step what the robot has to do.
Example:
Go forward.
Raise your robotic arm.
Open robotic arm.
Go forward a little more.
Close robotic arm on remote.
Turn around.
Go forward to your person.
Open your arm when person speaks.
You set the standards for its performance.
How fast should it bring you the remote?
Does it have to return it to your hand or just the area of your chair or couch?
How loud does the voice command have to be to start it on its mission?

Design
Brainstorming again for as many possible functional design ideas for your robot as you can think of. Sketching the design options.

Evaluate
Examining all the ideas objectively based on sturdiness, ease of build, maximum functionality, practicality, etc.
What sensors will your robot need.
Light? Sound? Ultrasound? Touch? Other?

Build
Finding and using the right piece for the right place and the right sensor for the mission. Making it sturdy and elegantly functional.

Program
Here's where you use that pseudocode ( single action step-by-step list that we wrote to help write the program for the robot to know what to do.)
Creating the program, defining the properties for the motion, sensor and other command icons. Decide when loops (for repeating the same action) and forks (for decision making) are useful.

Test
Running the robot and evaluating what worked correctly and what needs improvement.

Deciding whether it's the design, build or programming that needs changing to improve the robot.

Repeat Test and Redesign, Rebuild
Reprogram until the robot functions just the way you planned. This can take a while!!

SUCCESS!!
The robot does the mission you wanted it to – Hits the red ball or gets the TV remote or whatever.